Behind The Instagrammer

I have developed a new series. As there are so many accounts on Instagram. The series is called behind the Instagrammer. I will be showcasing the best travel bloggers Instagram photography and interview them so that you can gain variable tips to help your Instagram and now more about the travelers.

The first Instagram blogger is @barbaralicious she is in one of the Top 50 German Travel Bloggers. Her images are beautiful as unlike most images you see on Instagram are heavily edited. Her photos are lightly edited and still great. Now time for the interview below.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

I’ve been a digital nomad for three years. I love writing about my travel and work experiences on my travel blog, Barbaralicious, where I highlight the ease of working on the road and try to inspire people to begin their own journey of freedom with this beautiful lifestyle. In addition to my blog, I publish one city guide for digital nomads a month where I want to make starting the nomad life in a new place easier.

What were you doing before traveling?

I was a student at university. I studied languages and translation studies – which gave me the possibility to work location-independent.

What does photography mean to you?

I never really knew that I love photography. My parents never had a good camera and when I started my journey as a travel blogger, I was taking photos with a 50 Euro camera. When it fell in a puddle and stopped working though, I decided to upgrade my equipment and get a DSLR. It took me years to understand it and there is still a lot to learn for me. But I found my love for taking photos.

Do you use any follow and unlike software for your Instagram account?

Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to follow more than 7,5K accounts on Instagram. So everybody who is following and interacting a lot will reach that threshold at some point. To see who unfollowed me, I use apps and unfollow them. With this following-block Instagram forces users to unfollow.

Can you tell us a little bit about your decision to start traveling?

I always wanted to travel and see the world. When I found out that it’s possible to get a Round the World Ticket for free when you collect enough air miles, I decided to do it. It took me 5 years but in the end, I got the ticket and started traveling. I never stopped afterward.

What has been the most exciting destination for you?

Probably Israel. The country is extremely beautiful and full of history!

Where have you never been that you would love to go?

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while traveling?

Traveling light is super difficult when you’re working on the road. I would love to travel with hand luggage only but when you have so much equipment it’s almost impossible. Internet and memory are other problems… So, I guess, most of the challenges were work-related.

What have been some of the biggest challenges with Instagram?

It’s challenging to keep the engagement high. You need to engage yourself every single day to get people to follow you, like your photos and post comment.

Do you have any training in photography or are you completely self-taught?

I’m 100% self-taught.

What are the main tips you can provide to help boost your Instagram following?

Post great quality and do it consistently. If possible, at least once per day. Learn how to use hashtags.

How do you get sponsorships?

I ask companies or brands that fit my blog and to my target group. Normally, I pitch an idea and tell them how a sponsorship could be beneficial for them.

How do you choose which brands to work with?

I normally choose brands or companies that I know. I ask them because I’m happy with what they offer and because I think it would be of great value for my followers to work with them.

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve ever done to get a photo?

I don’t think I have done “extreme things”. I’ve waited for hours, sat down on wet grounds or climbed rocks. But I don’t think either of these things is extreme.

For those Instagram travelers who want to travel like you, can you give them some tips?

Be patient and find your own path, your own voice!

What’s been your favorite place that your travels have taken you to?

I don’t have a favorite place. I love South East Asia and Latinamerica.

What equipment do you normally carry to accomplish your photography?

I have a Canon EOS REBEL T5, which I normally use with my 10-18mm wide angle lens. I use a gorilla pod for night shots or “selfies”. But I also take photos with my iPhone 7, with my Go Pro Hero 4 Silver and with my drone, a Parrot Bebop2.

Find out more about @barbaralicious by checking her Instagram and great travel blog https://barbaralicious.com/en/

There is a lot of useful information here. I’m still trying to figure out Instagram, I recently got a DSLR that I’m still trying to figure out. It’s nice to know that she still uses her iPhone. I do too!

Thanks for sharing, really interesting read.
I find it cool that you studied languages at Universty, recently I told a friend I can speak minimum 2 words in over 10 languages but I do not even know what some of these words mean.
Now all these are not foreign languages, We speak 3(3.5) languages in Switzerland and learn English in School, so that already makes it 4 languages.
Really enjoyed your post, thanks so much for sharing.

What a wonderful idea for a blog! I would like to know what her process is for getting her photos onto instagram (without taking a lot of time) since you have to do it from a phone, but her pictures are from a camera.

I love the ease and flow of the article. IT made me feel like I was there seeing the interview. Plus there are some eye-opening tips regarding travelling, its ups and downs and also about Instagram, which I am still struggling to figure out. Well done on a very good article.

It’s good to know about the person behind a beautiful IG profile 🙂 It’s interesting to get to a peek into their lives and be able to know what inspires them. This one is such a great post Daniel! Thumbs up to @barbaralicious too!

Wow! I love this series! I also love how informative this Barbara is. I used to want to have a travel Instagram page but I was always so nervous. Like, where am I gonna go? I’m pretty sure my taste in destinations is far out from what would be typically considered a cool travel destination. I look forward to reading more about the travelers you feature!